 A scale model of sister ship Flandre
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| History | |
|---|---|
 France | |
| Name | Valeureuse |
| Namesake | Valorous |
| Ordered | 16 November 1860 |
| Builder | Arsenal de Brest |
| Laid down | 23 May 1861 |
| Launched | 18 August 1864 |
| Commissioned | 25 March 1867 |
| Stricken | 26 February 1886 |
| Fate | Scrapped, 1888 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Provence-class ironclad frigate |
| Displacement | 5,810 t (5,720 long tons) |
| Length | 82.9 m (272 ft) (o/a) |
| Beam | 17.06 m (56 ft) |
| Draft | 8.4 m (27 ft 7 in) (deep load) |
| Installed power | |
| Propulsion | 1 shaft, 1 compound-expansion steam engine |
| Sail plan | Barque-rig |
| Speed | 13.83 knots (25.61 km/h; 15.92 mph) |
| Range | 2,410 nautical miles (4,460 km; 2,770 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
| Complement | 579–594 |
| Armament |
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| Armor |
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The French ironclad Valeureuse was one of 10 Provence-class armored frigates built for the French Navy (Marine Nationale) during the 1860s. Commissioned in 1867, she was initially assigned to the Northern Squadron (Escadre du Nord), but was soon transferred to the Mediterranean Squadron (Escadre de la Méditerranée), often serving as a flagship. The ironclad played a minor role in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871, blockading the North Sea coast of Prussia and later a Prussian commerce raider in a neutral Spanish port. Valeureuse was reduced to reserve after the war, but was reactivated in 1875 and assigned to the Northern Squadron. The ship was decommissioned two years later and was stricken in 1886. She was scrapped in 1888.